NACo First Vice-President Kenneth Mayfield spelled out NACo’s recommendations on election reform in testimony before the House Administration Committee on April 25.

“The experience of this past fall reveals not one overarching problem,” said Mayfield, “but a number of problems, any one of which could be critical in a close election. These include problems of voter access, voting equipment, recount procedures and military and overseas voting. We should not look for a single dramatic solution but for a sustained effort to eliminate errors.”

Mayfield cited a recent NACo survey of election funding done in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. “It is clear from the survey,” Mayfield stated, “that counties are largely funding elections with their own funds.”

The survey shows that only 22 percent of responding counties received state funds to assist with election expenses. The average amount received last year was $42,000. The federal government did not provide any assistance.

Mayfield’s testimony included recommendations made by the National Commission on Election Standards and Reform, established last November by NACo and the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC), on the federal role in elections.

A number of the commission’s recommendations would require increased federal and state funding. These include the need to upgrade equipment, educate voters and poll workers, and enhance the administrative capacity of election offices.

Mayfield urged the House Administration Committee to provide federal funding for the following programs:

• formula-based funding program to share the cost of administering elections involving federal candidates
• assistance in mailing election- related materials, and
• research on standards for voting equipment and the administration of elections by the Office of Election Administration in the Federal Elections Commission.

First House hearing
Jurisdiction over election reform bills is shared by the House Administration and Judiciary committees. This was the first public hearing held this year in the House. Action had been delayed because of a leadership proposal earlier this year to create a temporary or select committee to study last November’s election problems. The leadership was not able to agree on the membership of the select committee so the idea was dropped.

Other witnesses at the House Administration Committee included five secretaries of state and representatives of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Federation of the Blind, NAACP, American Legion and the Voter Integrity Project.

All of the secretaries of state were in agreement about the need for federal assistance to upgrade election systems and that states must remain in charge.

“First and foremost, elections are state business and should remain so,” said Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.

“America needs uniform voluntary standards for our voting equipment, technologies and processes,” said Ron Thornburgh, Kansas secretary of state. “America does not need the same ballot or voting machine in every precinct.”

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), ranking Democrat on the committee, said he hopes the committee can draft and pass a bipartisan bill by the August recess. Chairman Bob Ney (R-Ohio) was less committed to the timetable but said there was a “great chance” to approve a bill by the end of the session in October.

The committee plans to hold more hearings on May 15 and 16. The Judiciary Committee has not scheduled any hearings and may wait for the House Administration Committee to act on a bill.

Jurisdiction on election bills is shared by the Senate Rules and Judiciary Committees, with the Rules Committee usually taking the lead. The Rules Committee held one hearing in March on several bills.

One of the key bills (S. 218) was introduced by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The bill has a majority of Rules Committee members as co-sponsors. Although no dates have been announced, the Rules Committee expects to hold further hearings in May.